Advice on Trading a Jaguar S Type for BMW E38, E39, E60 or Jaguar XJ (X350)

[Kal-El]

Hi, Gentlemen and ladies (if there any)

I currently own a S Type Jaguar (2000 model year), which is a great machine that has very unique and distinctive looks and loads of road presence, specially where I live most of the time (outside the Colombo).

However, I have been thinking of trading my Jag to one of the following models.

1. BMW E38 - 740iL preferably (1998-2001) - used to be a dream car for me and still is to some extent,very rare to find.

2. BMW E39 - 525i, 530i preferably (2001-2003) - not sure if this will be a downgrade from my S type Jag in terms of looks, sheer road presence and power.

3. BMW E60 5 Series - (2003-2006) - Nice car, not many on classifieds like the F10 5 Series

4. Jaguar XJ (X350) - (2003-2007) - The big brother to my S Type. Amazing looks, expensive and very rare.

5. Audi A6 (C5) - (2000 - 2003) - also, not sure if this will be a downgrade from my S type Jag in terms of looks, sheer road presence and power.

6. Merc W211 E Class ( 2002 - 2005) - Looks elegant, may not be a bang for the buck due to high demand for Mercs in SL

 

Since I am used to fuel consumption, parts availability and maintenance cost of premium euro's, I humbly request from you to guide on on,

1. What kind of improvements that each model will offer in comparison to my S Type Jag ?

2. Can you point out a mint condition E38 (long wheel base LCI), E39, E60, XJ - X350 that is intended for trade / sale ?

3. Other general advice ?

Thanking you for your precious time..

Kal-El

[Jor-el]

The apple fell very far from the tree I see when will you realize the wisdom of owning a practical Japanese car, son?

Welcome to the autolanka forums, son. I'm sure euro enthusiasts here will help you make a wise decision 

[Twin Turbo]

Every man needs a dream, hence the term "Dream car"

And seriously , Are there any females here?

My advise is, Any thing other than an Audi will be an upgrade for you.. 

Good luck.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Twin Turbo

[Kal-El]

Thank you Jor-el, for your fatherly advice and yes I think I know that Jap car is a more sensible buy. But some of us can't overlook our own tastes and the sexy lines of euro cars, specially the ones from late 90's to early 2000's. Also performance and exclusivity factor is another parameter that that motivates us to seek euro's. Also as an aspiring young professional (in very early 30's), I don't mind that exclusivity and the sense of privilege that these fine examples of luxury + performance automobiles provides.

Also. thank you Twin Turbo, for your input. I hope other euro experts will guide me as well with detailed comparisons between the models stated in my original post.

 

[Twin Turbo]

 

Cheers mate!

Pick of the bunch,E38

Edited August 2, 2016 by Twin Turbo

[Kal-El]

Thanks Twin Turbo.

What are the driving factors for you to pick E38 ?

Cheers.

[trinity]

12 hours ago, Twin Turbo said:

Every man needs a dream, hence the term "Dream car"

And seriously , Are there any females here?

My advise is, Any thing other than an Audi will be an upgrade for you.. 

Good luck.

Yes..

[Hoonigan]

Since you seem to be keen on the exclusivity and have made your peace with the relatively high cost of ownership, the E38 and the XJ seem to be the upgrades from your S type. I'd go with the E38 of the two but I am a little biased towards Bimmers.

[Kal-El]

@ Trinity :- If there are ladies in here as you said, I would love to hear their opinion on these "MAN CARS". It would be insightful.

@Hoonigan Thank you for your valuable input. I understand the motives behind your recommendation and I can't help but agree. But I am open to more detailed comparisons with first hand experience of driving / owning these so called luxo-barges and I would prefer this thread expands to a scale that would be also informative to other euro enthusiasts like me that are interested on these aging, but still wonderful automobiles.

 

[Kavvz]

3 hours ago, Kal-El said:

@ Trinity :- If there are ladies in here as you said, I would love to hear their opinion on these "MAN CARS". It would be insightful.

@Hoonigan Thank you for your valuable input. I understand the motives behind your recommendation and I can't help but agree. But I am open to more detailed comparisons with first hand experience of driving / owning these so called luxo-barges and I would prefer this thread expands to a scale that would be also informative to other euro enthusiasts like me that are interested on these aging, but still wonderful automobiles.

 

Why would any of these cars be considered MAN CARS in particular? ( None are particularly hard to drive, they are all luxurious and all have some variation of an automatic transmission available. So these would make good family cars yes, but MAN cars? I don't get it?) 

Edited August 2, 2016 by Kavvz

[Kal-El]

@Kavvz I agree that, these cars will make great family sedans and It has been used for that purpose as well.

however. cars like BMW E38 or Jaguar XJ are somewhat iconic cars due to their appearance in pop culture (James Bond and Jason Statham drove E38) and due to their massive and thirsty engines, higher maintenance costs, difficulty in sourcing parts, these cars (with exception of Audi A6, Merc W211, E39 and E60 to some extent as these may be categorized as excellent family cars) seems to appeal to a very narrow demographic (i.e. enthusiasts).

IMHO, People do not buy these by accident or with an unsure mind as a day to day means of transportation. They specifically know what they what and that is what they going to get if they managed to get a well maintained sample.

Also, BMW E38 7 is widely considered as the best 7 series ever and even though I have to agree that it is generations behind the latest 7's in terms of technology, modern looks and efficiency, I can't help but admire the sleek and simple lines of an E38, specially on long wheel base models.

May be it is that, my mind is playing games with me to trick me to think that E38 is still a relevant and beautiful car and also it is the only one I could afford out of 7 series (E32 doesn't interest me much).  

On a side note, most of my friends (Japanese hybrid fans and FB-15, AE-110, 121, Leaf, Wagon R fans mostly) thinks it is an old man's car with somewhat boxy appearance and it doesn't appeal to them slightest  and they wonder why I want such a big box that does not return over 3-6 km / pl.

Few months ago I have seen couple of neat year 2000, 740il E38 models (dark blue / black) with 302-**** plates listed in classifieds under 3.0 mil. I wonder if anyone could point out their current whereabouts or current owners.

Cheers

Edited August 3, 2016 by Kal-El
addition of new comments

[Kavvz]

7 hours ago, Kal-El said:

@Kavvz I agree that, these cars will make great family sedans and It has been used for that purpose as well.

however. cars like BMW E38 or Jaguar XJ are somewhat iconic cars due to their appearance in pop culture (James Bond and Jason Statham drove E38) and due to their massive and thirsty engines, higher maintenance costs, difficulty in sourcing parts, these cars (with exception of Audi A6, Merc W211, E39 and E60 to some extent as these may be categorized as excellent family cars) seems to appeal to a very narrow demographic (i.e. enthusiasts).

IMHO, People do not buy these by accident or with an unsure mind as a day to day means of transportation. They specifically know what they what and that is what they going to get if they managed to get a well maintained sample.

Also, BMW E38 7 is widely considered as the best 7 series ever and even though I have to agree that it is generations behind the latest 7's in terms of technology, modern looks and efficiency, I can't help but admire the sleek and simple lines of an E38, specially on long wheel base models.

May be it is that, my mind is playing games with me to trick me to think that E38 is still a relevant and beautiful car and also it is the only one I could afford out of 7 series (E32 doesn't interest me much).  

On a side note, most of my friends (Japanese hybrid fans and FB-15, AE-110, 121, Leaf, Wagon R fans mostly) thinks it is an old man's car with somewhat boxy appearance and it doesn't appeal to them slightest  and they wonder why I want such a big box that does not return over 3-6 km / pl.

Few months ago I have seen couple of neat year 2000, 740il E38 models (dark blue / black) with 302-**** plates listed in classifieds under 3.0 mil. I wonder if anyone could point out their current whereabouts or current owners.

Cheers

Well okay, I kinda see you point. And to be honest, I think I agree with you when it comes to the XJ. It's pretty exclusive and I think its more likely an enthusiast would own that. 

As for the rest, I still wouldn't consider them very far removed from family sedan territory but as you said, when compared to everything else out there; which as you mentioned are most likely the FB-15, AE-110, 121, Leaf, Wagon R and I add my current absolute favourite crap car that I see on the streets: the girly geely panda: Your point of view becomes more clear...

Thanks for clarifying your argument.  

Notes: Emergency edit to highlight the fact that I don't like the Geely Panda and to make sure I don't get mistaken as a member of the GEELY PANDA OWNER'S CLUB

Edited August 3, 2016 by Kavvz

[The Stig]

On the point of ladies opinion don't bother with ones here, trust me they want to buy vezels and gp5s.

 

In terms of the your actual selection I think the 7 would be the best bet out of the lot. Okay okay I am a bit biased towards Beemer but it makes sense even against the e39 and e60 given the bells and whistle and the pure size of the car itself. Also I think you wil have an easier time maintaining a Beemer here than a jag or an audi since there are multiple 3rd parties for services /repairs.

[Kal-El]

@Kavvz You got some neat little drive there with the panda. During the initial rollout of pandas, I wanted one at that time and I still think it is a better ride than those Indian offerings in the category. Since then I have moved only think of one as a second car down the road. Thanks for the comment BTW.

@The Stig Nice to see you here. I am a big fan of you in BBC Top Gear and your taste for music whilst driving at the track is well .. unique.

BTW,  I get your point. But doesn't the E60 is a much more contemporary car (albeit controversial at the time of release in 2003 due to cutting edge design aesthetics of the BMW chief designer 'Chris Bangle") that doesn't look out of place among 2016 models. If you have driven or owned these cars, can you provide an insight of performance, reliability and common issues associated, etc., with these models. I am now really undecided between E38, E60 or XJ (X350) and Merc W211 E series and Audi A6 (C5) is now out of the picture.

Thank you for the comment BTW

[Kavvz]

3 hours ago, Kal-El said:

@Kavvz You got some neat little drive there with the panda. During the initial rollout of pandas, I wanted one at that time and I still think it is a better ride than those Indian offerings in the category. Since then I have moved only think of one as a second car down the road. Thanks for the comment BTW.

@The Stig Nice to see you here. I am a big fan of you in BBC Top Gear and your taste for music whilst driving at the track is well .. unique.

BTW,  I get your point. But doesn't the E60 is a much more contemporary car (albeit controversial at the time of release in 2003 due to cutting edge design aesthetics of the BMW chief designer 'Chris Bangle") that doesn't look out of place among 2016 models. If you have driven or owned these cars, can you provide an insight of performance, reliability and common issues associated, etc., with these models. I am now really undecided between E38, E60 or XJ (X350) and Merc W211 E series and Audi A6 (C5) is now out of the picture.

Thank you for the comment BTW

lol !! That wasn't the point of my post at all. I hate the Girly gleely panda! I was being sarcastic when I added it to the list as I just don't see why people would want one. If I were to buy a cheap car I'd rather have an Indian built Maruti to a gleely panda any day! 

Edited August 3, 2016 by Kavvz

[The Stig]

3 hours ago, Kal-El said:

@Kavvz You got some neat little drive there with the panda. During the initial rollout of pandas, I wanted one at that time and I still think it is a better ride than those Indian offerings in the category. Since then I have moved only think of one as a second car down the road. Thanks for the comment BTW.

@The Stig Nice to see you here. I am a big fan of you in BBC Top Gear and your taste for music whilst driving at the track is well .. unique.

BTW,  I get your point. But doesn't the E60 is a much more contemporary car (albeit controversial at the time of release in 2003 due to cutting edge design aesthetics of the BMW chief designer 'Chris Bangle") that doesn't look out of place among 2016 models. If you have driven or owned these cars, can you provide an insight of performance, reliability and common issues associated, etc., with these models. I am now really undecided between E38, E60 or XJ (X350) and Merc W211 E series and Audi A6 (C5) is now out of the picture.

Thank you for the comment BTW

Kal-el good to see you here too, I hope batman didn't do too much damage #teambatman 

On a series note i think it depends on your personality. What I mean is vehicle personality, Are you someone who enjoys driving? If so the E60 would be a better driver centric car. The 7 is more of a luxury cruiser, more or less intended to be a chauffeur driven car. You seemed like a guy who likes to cruze, chillaxing and all. That's why I recommend the 7.

I on the other hand is a very aggressive driver, the kind of person who takes the longer route just so I can drive the car longer.  I personally would get the e60 over the e38 anyway. 

[Kal-El]

1 hour ago, Kavvz said:

lol !! That wasn't the point of my post at all. I hate the Girly gleely panda! I was being sarcastic when I added it to the list as I just don't see why people would want one. If I were to buy a cheap car I'd rather have an Indian built Maruti to a gleely panda any day! 

My bad, I didn't picked out your sarcasm regarding the Panda. Your experience with it must be bad to form such a negative perception about it. 

BTW, lets get back to the discussion of big 2.0 ton, over 5 meter long luxury cruisers.

[Kal-El]

1 hour ago, The Stig said:

Kal-el good to see you here too, I hope batman didn't do too much damage #teambatman 

On a series note i think it depends on your personality. What I mean is vehicle personality, Are you someone who enjoys driving? If so the E60 would be a better driver centric car. The 7 is more of a luxury cruiser, more or less intended to be a chauffeur driven car. You seemed like a guy who likes to cruze, chillaxing and all. That's why I recommend the 7.

I on the other hand is a very aggressive driver, the kind of person who takes the longer route just so I can drive the car longer.  I personally would get the e60 over the e38 anyway. 

Well, you read me accurately there. Even though I get the adrenaline to drive aggressively some times, I control the urge by reminding my responsibility as a driver and also considering the traffic jam (even outside the Colombo) now, it is difficult to drive aggressively unless you are an experienced driver, which I think you are. Therefore, I prefer to waft along by cruising in comfort and relative silence, hence your suggestion for E38 makes sense. Do you know a mint E38 (LWB) that I could make it mine ?

On a side note, one could think that driving at 60 kmph is a waste of 250 horses and excellent driving dynamics of my S Type

No, Batman ain't got ba**s nor brawns to make any serious damage and he was nothing without that thing, what you call it.... ah got it, something called 'Kryptonite'. On the other hand, W-W was kick-a** and she definately got more ba**s than the bat-boy.

 

 

 

 

[trinity]

21 hours ago, Kal-El said:

@ Trinity :- If there are ladies in here as you said, I would love to hear their opinion on these "MAN CARS". It would be insightful.

@Hoonigan Thank you for your valuable input. I understand the motives behind your recommendation and I can't help but agree. But I am open to more detailed comparisons with first hand experience of driving / owning these so called luxo-barges and I would prefer this thread expands to a scale that would be also informative to other euro enthusiasts like me that are interested on these aging, but still wonderful automobiles.

 

@Lady Vettel Floor is yours if you wanna comment.

[Kal-El]

17 hours ago, trinity said:

@Lady Vettel Floor is yours if you wanna comment.

Yeah, let's see what ladies think about these big cruisers.

[PreseaLover]

17 hours ago, trinity said:

@Lady Vettel Floor is yours if you wanna comment.

 

Just now, Kal-El said:

Yeah, let's see what ladies think about these big cruisers.

knowing her personally I don't think she will visit the forum anytime soon  she's busy with racing and stuff... 

[Kal-El]

1 hour ago, PreseaLover said:

 

knowing her personally I don't think she will visit the forum anytime soon  she's busy with racing and stuff... 

@PreseaLover In the mean time, I woudn't mind your opinion about these..

 

[PreseaLover]

13 minutes ago, Kal-El said:

@PreseaLover In the mean time, I woudn't mind your opinion about these..

 

Hmm if I were given the chance to pick from your list I'd go for the BMW E39 and the Jaguar XJ... Since I have to pick 1 out of the list I'd go for the Jaguar XJ  

[Kal-El]

32 minutes ago, PreseaLover said:

Hmm if I were given the chance to pick from your list I'd go for the BMW E39 and the Jaguar XJ... Since I have to pick 1 out of the list I'd go for the Jaguar XJ  

Interesting choices. Do you have any first hand experience with either model ? If so, can you kindly elaborate as that would make an interesting contribution to this thread.

[PreseaLover]

1 hour ago, Kal-El said:

Interesting choices. Do you have any first hand experience with either model ? If so, can you kindly elaborate as that would make an interesting contribution to this thread.

sadly i dont have any experience in driving these nor have much knowledge on the euro's... however I'm into lower sedans which helps you cut through the wind well due to the lower profile and also its balanced and stable due to that reason... the rear and front design and the positioning of lights also interests me hence I went for the XJ... If you had included a frameless window car on your list, definitely I would go with it...  coz once you own a frameless windows car, you can never set your mind up for a normal windows car...  

[Kal-El]

42 minutes ago, PreseaLover said:

sadly i dont have any experience in driving these nor have much knowledge on the euro's... however I'm into lower sedans which helps you cut through the wind well due to the lower profile and also its balanced and stable due to that reason... the rear and front design and the positioning of lights also interests me hence I went for the XJ... If you had included a frameless window car on your list, definitely I would go with it...  coz once you own a frameless windows car, you can never set your mind up for a normal windows car...  

Which clarifies your motives for using a Nissan Presea and hence the name "PreseaLover"